


Nobody Really Wins.

by bitterstolenrelic, madetobestolen (graysonatural)



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Hunger Games Setting, Hunger Games, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-09
Updated: 2014-03-09
Packaged: 2018-01-08 01:45:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1126924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bitterstolenrelic/pseuds/bitterstolenrelic, https://archiveofourown.org/users/graysonatural/pseuds/madetobestolen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A Hunger Games AU where Loki (District 7, trees) and Tony (District 3, technology) are both Reaped for the Games.<br/>Which one of them will come out on top?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Alone.

**Author's Note:**

> **PLEASE READ.**
> 
>  
> 
> \- This began as a roleplay between my partner and I, and thus, the layout of the story will be a little odd to read. Every time there is a line break (space between the paragraphs) and a hyphen (-), it switches to the other partner's turn.  
> \- Both authors are very familiar with the books and movies.  
> \- If you have any questions about what happens or anything of the sort, please feel free to comment! Again, we know that the layout is a little wonky, so if anything is unclear, just let us know and we will happily explain.

Loki is the tallest of all of the tributes this year.  
His stylist, Hanny, uses this to his advantage in every way possible, from the design of his outfit to the material that it's made out of. "Your legs are your greatest feature," he'd say. " _Use 'em._ "  
And Loki would. Not only are his legs long, but they are strong and lean and fast and _perfect_ for running long distances and climbing trees if need be. Hanny has ensured that his skin-tight suit allows his legs to be as useful as possible.  
As he enters his pod, Hanny blows him a kiss and wishes him luck, to which the thin male just nods. And then, he's being launched.  
He's already got a plan in his head: make a run for the cornucopia, get there first, grab what he needs and get the fuck out before the bloodbath reaches him. Hopefully the arena caters to his needs by having trees of any sort.  
As his pod rises above the ground, he has to hold back a smirk.  
Trees.  
So many trees that he could hide for _weeks_ if need be.  
The arena is a forest and he's never been happier.  
But then the countdown is blaring in his ears and he doesn't have the time or the heart to look for his fellow district 7 tribute before it hits zero; because at that exact moment he's running as fast as he possibly can, hair whipping in the wind as he skids into the cornucopia. Loki grabs a backpack and stuffs whatever he can get his hands on into it, catching sight of a hulking tribute from district 1 out of the corner of his eye. Panicking, he grabs a throwing ax and chucks it into the guy's shoulder before he can get too close, throwing the backpack over his shoulder and snatching a fancy-looking ax-like weapon that's almost half his height; and then he _leaps_ out of the cornucopia, dashing into the woods before anything can hit him.

-

When his name was called at the Reaping, Tony swore he almost felt his heart stop. He knew the girl, at least. They weren't friends, but they knew each other well enough. Their mentor told them to work together for a little bit, if they could, at least long enough to get Tony some supplies. He wasn't stupid, he could find a way to survive in damn near any situation.  
But he'd never really been one for nature.  
He's hardly realizing what goes on until he's in the tube, until it dawns on him like ice water dripping down his spine. And once he sees trees, he considers - for about a second - stepping off the platform early because there's just no way this will go well for him. There have been victors from his district before, of course, but Tony's rather confident that those were flukes and he will not be convinced otherwise. If nothing else, his own physical condition isn't too bad, so at least surviving will be a little easier. He finds the girl from 3; they've already figured out a plan, and at least they're closer together than he'd expected.  
As soon as the number hits zero and the buzzer rings, he veers away, like he's going to avoid the cornucopia, but he knows that there are supplies he needs. There are two bags he grabs, one for himself, one for the girl, who very narrowly avoids a sword aiming to separate her head from her shoulders - a Career trying to get an easy kill, he figures - but she makes it over to him, they trade off items, and they both run like hell into the trees. Any alliance they had is done. It's about survival now.

-

By the time Loki gets far enough into the forest to relax a little bit, he's killed three people. One of them was a district 4, he believes; the other two from district 9 because they'd decided that it was a good idea to gang up on him for a stress-free kill.  
Panting, Loki glances around and makes sure that nobody is around to see him, and then he gets to climbing. He gets about halfway up the tree-- he wants to be able to get down quickly if he needs to --before sitting comfortably on a branch and tugging off his backpack.  
In truth, he hadn't really paid much attention to what he'd been shoving into it, but random supplies are better than nothing.  
All in all, he's got: various medicines and packs of gauze; Iodine; several cans of food; a scarf; and a bottle of water, which he takes a few quick sips from. He'd completely bypassed the tents and the sleeping bags, but he's slept in trees for years: why waste the time to grab them?  
Carefully climbing down from the tree, he sets out to hunt down lonely tributes. Chances are that nobody will want an alliance, but hey-- when he kills them because they'd then be the enemy, it's just one less person to worry about.

-

If absolutely nothing else, there is plenty of cover in this setting. Tony can definitely hide, and after a bit of a run, completely managing to avoid everyone else, he found a spot that would work well enough for him. He heard running water, and he knew that would be necessary, whether he actually had water in the bag or not, and it helps him choose his hiding place.  
He nearly blanks out for a moment, until he starts hearing cannons, counting how many are already gone, and he raises his eyebrows a little. About what he expects, but still, not good. He finds a spot that's at least easily defendable, and he starts trying to cover it, making sure his things won't be found if he's not immediately next to them.  
It doesn't take long - maybe ten, fifteen minutes - for him to set himself up, almost creating a little cave for himself. He feels his timing is perfect, because he starts to hear noise, and he's not entirely sure if it's in his head, just paranoia, or if it's the others, and he hides quickly. He wants to at least survive the first day. He'll consider bravery or something equally stupid tomorrow.

-

Loki stops moving as the cannons start, counting them. It dawns on him that he has killed the majority of tributes in that first day alone, if others had only killed one or two.  
That makes him sick, and he considers retching, but is able to hold it in as he continues to move. After a few minutes, he finds the bloody remnants of one of the dead tributes: their blood and their supplies had been left behind after their body had been taken. He risks stopping to stock up, taking everything he can fit into his own backpack, which includes more water, more food, and a machete.  
And then, he immediately begins to move again: staying in one spot for two long makes you a dead man.  
He's alone, however, in this part of the woods. Or at least, it seems that way. There's no movement besides him, no light from a campfire, nothing.  
But then, a certain shuffling seems to accompany his own, like someone carefully moving to hide. Perhaps it's a child?  
"Friend or foe?" He asks into the trees, noting a small cavity within which someone could take refuge.  
"I have food and water, and medicine. Please: friend or foe?"


	2. Alliances.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Loki find one another, but will they band together to survive or will they become enemies?

For the second time in entirely not enough days, Tony feels his heart stop again at the voice he hears. His fingers, calloused by the work he does with computers, tighten around the handle of the knife the girl gave him. It's a good size, at least, and the blade is lethal - but then again, everything in the cornucopia was.  
He's cautious when he moves, heart racing - well, he thinks to himself, at least it's still beating, for now - climbing into view slowly. He's not as young as he could be, and it shows on his face, but he's also not all that old, and it shows in the slight shake of his hand, but somehow doesn't make it to his voice.  
"...Well, I guess that all depends on you, gorgeous," he muses, voice strangely calm. His words are calculated to the letter, realizing that if he adds the compliment, perhaps it would deter someone bloodthirsty, if only for a moment. Then again, when he sees the tribute that spoke, he doesn't regret saying it.

-

His grip tightens on his weapon of choice, which just so happens to be almost identical to what he was trained with when working with the trees; and he waits. Whoever is in the cave is certainly not a child: not with that large of a shadow.  
But then again, the man that emerges is not all that old. In fact, he seems to be about Loki's age: about 18.  
And then the other speaks and it's as if a train's hit him-- but he doesn't let it show.  
"Flattery will get you nowhere with me," he purrs, head tilting to the side as he lowers his ax, "but it is certainly kind of you."  
In his free hand he holds a can of food, which he holds up to show the man before tossing it over to him.  
"A peace offering," he justifies, willing to waste a can because he's got more than enough in his bag.

-

Tony doesn't hesitate, catching the can with his free hand almost on reflex. He looks at it skeptically for a second, then nods a little. "Perfectly acceptable. Other than half a place to hide for a bit, I don't really have anything to offer in return." He keeps it in his hand, and his fingers relax a little on his knife for a moment as he looks the older teen over for a moment, but he tenses when he sees the ax.  
"...Look, don't take this the wrong way or anything, but, uh... there's a lot of blood on that ax and on your clothes." He presents it as a statement, as inoffensively as he can, but he's a bit unnerved. He knows that some of the tributes are going to be brutal, to do anything they can to get back home, but he hadn't really expected it from anyone other than the careers this early.

-

Loki watches the other tribute very carefully, noting how wary he is. "You don't have to give me anything," he shakes his head. "I said it was a peace offering."  
As the younger one speaks, he looks down at himself, frowning a little at the blood. Loki doesn't take offense: after all, it's a true statement, and he can't deny the fact that he's killed. "I was attacked. The tributes from district 9 ambushed me and I-- I killed them. Then a girl from district 4 tried to finish the job for them, and I killed her, too."  
The older one remembers him from the shows and the preparations before the games: his name is Tony, he's from district 3, and he's a charmer.  
"Your name is Tony, yes? I'm Loki-- and if you don't attack me like the others did, I will gladly help you."

-

He nods easily at both the explanation and the name, and the tension eases away as much as it can. "I really don't want to kill anybody, honestly. I'm not about to attack you." He doesn't think that would go well for him - he's small, compared to Loki, and even though he might have a bit more muscle, he's smart, and he knows trying to attack him wouldn't go well.  
"Yeah, my name's Tony. I probably should've known your name, but I've sorta been in denial for the last few days. If you want to rinse any of that off, there's a little stream, about fifty feet that way," he offers, pointing over his shoulder. The information he claims to have ignored comes back - Loki's a tribute from District 7, bound to be more than familiar with the territory around them, and he received a relatively good score before the games. He would be a helpful ally, if nothing else. At least for a while.

-

Loki listens carefully, facial features softening. Tony is a good guy, for the most part-- or at least, it seems that way.  
At the mentioning of the lake, he nods, setting his backpack down and rummaging through it before he finds that machete. Taking it, he slowly makes his way over to the other, holding it by the blade and offering it to him. "You're not going to get anywhere with that little knife," he smiles, and it crinkles the dried blood on his face as he presses the handle into the younger one's hands.  
Turning away, Loki heads over to where Tony indicated the stream was, kneeling beside it. He rinses his weapon first, ensuring that it sparkles before he starts washing his face and hands and hair. Everything on him is sticky and red, and he needs it off. Off, off, _off_.  
When he's finished, he stands, moving back over to Tony's little cave.  
"Do you need clean water? I've got a few bottles."

-

It's purely reflex that makes him tense when the larger blade comes out. Human nature dictates that such things are dangerous, and having a machete like that isn't something Tony's ever even considered. He takes it and nods, watching Loki go over to the stream.  
As Loki's rinsing everything off, Tony's mind races. He slithers back into hiding, at least until he hears the leaves crunching to indicate Loki's return. "Probably wouldn't hurt... I've got a bottle in my bag, but it really didn't even occur to me yet to actually fill it up," he murmurs, going back inside to retrieve the bottle and resurfacing. By now, he's rearranged things a little. The knife is in a somewhat comfortable spot at his waist, and the machete is in its place in his hand. He doesn't want to be unarmed, just in case anything should happen.

-

He bends down at his backpack again, pulling out a bottle of water and Iodine. "Well, if you want another bottle, take this one-- but if you want to go ahead and clean the stream water with this Iodine, then have it. Or, take both. Be my guest."  
He stands and sets both things on a nearby tree stump, allowing Tony to take what he pleases.  
"I.. apologize for startling you with the machete. Blades have been around me since birth: I didn't think anything of it." His words are sincere; he knows how some people from other districts can be. "But, please, if you want or need something that I've got in my bag, take it. There's too much there for just me."  
Sighing, he takes a seat and leans against the cave.

-

He shakes his head a little at the apology. "It's alright, don't worry about it. The circumstance made me a bit more wary too, admittedly," he muses. He looks over the things on the stump, and he shakes his head. The iodine could be useful later, especially in a place like this, surrounded by dirt and mess. He's hardly the cleanest person, but he's cleaner than this.  
"There's space inside, you know. And it's not the most easily detectable spot, thankfully, so if you're planning to stick around, might as well settle in. I'm not going anywhere until tomorrow at the earliest."

-

He looks up at Tony, thin lips parting as the young teenager speaks. He contemplates questioning Tony's logic because it's a bit cramped and they'd no doubt be pushed together at least a little-- but he holds his tongue, smirking to himself and running a hand through his long, dark waves.  
"So long as it's alright with you. If you'd like me to take the first watch, I will."  
As he speaks, he ducks down and fits himself into the cavity, ensuring that his backpack is nearby if he needs anything. Resting back against the hard rock wall, Loki takes a breath, keeping his ax between his knees.

-

After Loki slides inside, Tony goes over to the stream and fills up the bottles as much as he can, splashing some water in his face. He should know better than this. Really, he's stuck in the arena, and what's the first thing he does after finding food and water? He starts flirting.  
"Typical, Stark," he mutters to himself before he goes back, sliding into the cave. "If you want to keep an eye out, I'm fine with it. I doubt anyone else is going to be as quiet as you were, especially the Careers. You can hear those two coming from a mile away. I don't sleep much anyway, so I don't have a problem watching."

-

He chuckles as Tony talks to him, nodding. "I don't know if you saw back at the cornucopia, but I hit one of them in the shoulder with a throwing ax before the bloodbath started; I got there first. I think it was Thor. It won't slow him down much, the brute, but I know I severed something, so he's less useful to Steve now."  
Scooting in a bit closer, Loki shivers, feeling a cold draft as it intrudes on their space.  
"I'll take the first watch. Sleep as much as you can, then I'll do the same."


	3. Trust.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Loki have hit it off well, but what will happen when one of them is gravely injured?

Tony wasn't lying. He really doesn't sleep much, and he will go days without it if he can. In this situation, maybe it's not a bad thing. "I thought I heard some sort of incredibly loud string of profanities. Good shot. With any luck, it'll get infected or something," he muses, shifting to get comfortable. It's not a large space, so Tony's nearly curled up on Loki, but the younger of them is usually warm, so he's rather comfortable this close to Loki. "So, how was _your_ time in the Capitol?" he asks, bitterness seeping into his voice.

-

Loki grins to himself, fingers crawling and climbing over his ax purely out of habit. "Hopefully. Perhaps Steve will leave him in the dust to die. Maybe someone will kill him out of mercy." A chuckle rumbles in his chest, and after several moments of contemplation, he closes the distance between the two of them, cold in the night's chill air and in need of some sort of warmth.  
"Oh, it was _wonderful._ They tried to feed me various disgusting things and became offended when I told them that trees tasted better than their food-- even though it's true."

-

Tony snorts and can't help but chuckle. "They have no idea how to handle 'insults' like that. I've been there, a few times... my dad's an engineer, computer tech, he does a lot for them. I was supposed to do the same." He shakes his head a little, and shifts again to keep them both comfortable, and keep Loki warm. "They're ridiculous. This whole thing is ridiculous, but they're never really going to understand that," he murmurs softly, only meaning for Loki to hear. He's done a basic scan of the area, there's no sound recording devices around here, as far as he's been able to tell.

-

Whistling lowly, Loki turns for a second to look at Tony. He's rich, there's no doubt, and he's probably got a bright future ahead of him. As far as Loki can tell, the younger teen has a pretty good head on his shoulders.  
If anything, the taller tribute would want _him_ to win-- to go out and do something useful for everyone.  
"They will never understand, and they don't care that they won't understand. Life to them is love and luxury and watching the games-- and then you die." He scoffs. "Bittersweet."  
And then, a noise has him tensing. ".... Tell me you heard that."  
Cautiously, he stands, gripping his ax tightly. "Tony, don't m--"  
An arrow whizzes by him and he narrowly dodges it-- it buries itself in a tree's trunk. Cursing, he springs into action, swinging his weapon and beheading one attacking tribute before turning and defending himself against another. There are three in all, and the third goes after Tony.

-

Of course Tony heard the noise. It's in that exact instant that it dawns on him: yes, the cave was a good place, but they were being hunted. There was no safety. Not in the games. Not like this.  
He's up and moving quickly. He recognizes the tribute chasing him, and he swears as he tries to make himself scarce into the trees. It's the girl from his district, and as tame as she had been, she's turned around completely and she's coming after Tony with a blood-lust. She has family to return to, brothers and sisters that need her. She knows Tony doesn't have that luxury, and thinks he won't fight for his life. Tony's small, compact, not lanky like Loki, so once the line of sight is broken and he's away, he's hiding, making his breathing even, and he's back to stalking her, more than she's stalking him.  
He's not sure where the idea comes from, but it's good. He's close to her, but behind her, and he finds a rock, chucking it to make her turn so her defenses are down more, looking for where he's running to. He draws the knife from where he'd stashed it, lunging forward and stabbing it through her back, tackling her to the ground, refusing to get up as she struggles and screams, trying to alert anyone else to where he is. His hands shake as he continues to push the knife deep, waiting for her to be silent, and as soon as she is, he yanks the knife loose and disappears.  
He's not aware that he's being followed, just that there's blood and it's on his knife and his hands and there's a spatter of it on his face and neck as well. He slinks through the trees, lost and almost hopelessly alone for a moment, which is a new experience. He tries to focus, to hear the stream, but he's run too far, and too late he realizes that the only thing he hears is another tribute, running towards the sounds of the fight with Loki. He whirls and throws his knife, but he makes noise, and the other teen turns and launches a spear. It's been damaged, and Tony, thankfully, is at an awkward angle. The knife buries itself in the other's chest. The thrown spear hits a button on Tony's jacket and splinters, driving bits into his chest that are absolutely agonizing, but not enough to kill him. He falls, regardless, breathing shallowly as he tries to stop himself from bleeding out.

-

Loki fights off his attacker for a bit before the other slips up, catching their foot on a rock and stumbling. The taller one seizes his chance and drives the spear-like blade on the top of his ax into their chest, shoving them back against a tree and twisting the entire weapon, effectively stopping their heart by practically ripping it in half.  
Breathing heavily, he looks around, brow furrowing. ".... Tony?" Loki turns quickly, noting that he is nowhere to be seen. "Tony!"  
He takes off immediately, unwilling to lose his new friend-- his only friend. "Tony! To--"  
The spear hits the younger tribute and shatters in his flesh. Tony falls.  
Like a wild feline Loki is on Tony's attacker, nearly ripping them to shreds with his bare hands before he finally uses his ax to behead them; and then he returns his attention to his friend.  
".... T-Tony..?" Hurriedly he approaches, crouching over him and surveying the wound with shaking hands. "I-I.. I have medicine, I.."  
Not particularly willing to waste any time, Loki hauls Tony into his arms and uses the long handle on his ax to balance him, jogging back to their little campsite and carefully setting the other down in the cave. He rushes, grabbing his bag and ripping the medical supplies from it. "I-I can try to remove the shrapnel but I'm not-- I'm not sure I-I can--"

-

Tony wasn't sure who it was, at first. He knows he isn't dead, he was in far too much pain for that, but that's all he's really sure of. He recocgnizes Loki after a moment and shakes his head, hands surprisingly still.  
"Relax, gorgeous, I'm alright..." he murmurs, coughing a little, spitting out the now-bloody contents of his mouth. "Water. Need to clean it off. Need... oh, fuck... I need technology, electricity, a damn magnet... If I had a magnet, I know I'd last a bit longer. Keep the shards away..." He grimaces as he shifts and shakes his head again.  
"I need water, Loki. Gotta clean this. Need a small knife too, to get out whatever I can. I'm not dying yet, just do that, alright?" There's still a strange firmness and calm to his voice. He's not afraid, finally, and he knows how to bandage what he can for now. Everything else... well, everything else is going to hurt like hell.


	4. Magnets.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony has been seriously injured. Loki does his best to help.

The nickname "gorgeous" is one that he will not easily get used to if they both get out of this, and that's all he knows.  
"W-Water, I can.. I can do that." Searching in his bag, he pulls out a full bottle and hands it to Tony before standing and hurrying over to one of the dead tributes. He finds a pocketknife on one of them and grabs it, rushing it back over to Tony.  
"Wh-What do I do now?" He asks, voice nearly nonexistent. He's afraid-- terribly afraid.  
And then, light. It's almost blinding, making Loki shield his eyes to look and see what it is-- and when he realizes what's happening, his stomach drops.  
There are two planes hovering above them. One of them busies itself by picking up the bodies, and the other one drops a box with a little parachute attached to it.  
The box lands about ten feet away, and Loki scrambles over to it as though someone else could get to it. Opening it, his eyes widen and he brings it over to Tony, showing him the contents.

-

His hands are still perfectly still, and he takes the knife, digging out the pieces that aren't too deep. There's more pain, and he allows his face to show it whenever Loki isn't looking. He hears the cannons to signifiy the other deaths, and he knows how the gamemakers are. They're readying his, he knows it, but he refuses to roll over and die. That was never an option. He rinses the wounds with water, hissing and scowling, internalizing the worst of the pain.  
When Loki brings over the parachute, he's surprised. There's a note, from his mentor, and he just chuckles softly, picking up the pieces. "Before they get all of them... need extra bandaging. Shirts. That kind of thing. Torn up so they'll wrap around me." After that, he's silent, doing what he can with the pieces, then scowling and looking around. "...Camera. I need a camera... they have them everywhere..."

-

Loki nods and scurries over to one of the dead tributes' bags, tugging out any clothes they've got and proceeding to rip them into long, thick strips. He brings those over to Tony and then tugs the scarf he'd grabbed at the cornucopia, adding that to the pile.  
".... Camera.." Eyes narrowing, he looks toward the trees.  
Maybe he can be useful after all.  
"I've got it."  
Sprinting at a tree, Loki performs a flawless two-step, leaping up into the branches and searching everywhere for any sort of camera. When he doesn't find one in the tree he's in, he swings over to the one closest to it.  
Finally, after a few minutes of looking, he sees one and freezes because he knows they're watching. Everyone is watching. "Mmh.. hello." He smirks a little, inching toward it and grabbing it when he can. "And goodbye."  
Ripping it from its wires, he grins to himself. "I've got one, Tony," he calls out to the other, "I'm just going to c--"  
Pain erupts in his calf. He's stunned for a moment, but his fingers grip the camera tightly, even as he falls from the branches and to the leaf-covered ground.  
A thin throwing knife sticks out of his leg and he groans. "T-.. To-ahh.."

-

Tony leans back against the rock he's nearest to, breathing starting to grow shallow. He knows how to treat wounds, and he _knows_ metal. If it's not controlled, his body will be responsible for his death, not the metal. He looks up, hearing Loki speak, then hearing the older teen hit the ground.  
"Loki...? Loki, you alright?" he asks, voice rasping a little. He hadn't been looking, but he heard the thud of Loki hitting the ground, and now he's worried. If Loki's hurt, from getting something for him, to keep him alive - the irony isn't lost on him in that - and he squirms to try to look, but a monumental spike of pain silences and stills him.

-

Loki whimpers, still unable to move much because of the shock and the pain, but after several seconds of convincing himself, he hauls himself up and leans on a tree.  
He /has/ to get the to Tony, even if it kills him.  
And so, with a deep breath and a groan of pain, he limps toward Tony. "I-I'm fine, just.. just a-- a.."  
He's just about two yards away from the other when another knife buries itself in his opposite leg's thigh, and this time, he cries out and falls to the ground, cursing lowly.  
"Fuck, fuckfuckfuck--" He tosses the camera at Tony, having no other alternative, and it's then that he realizes that the knives have a tranquilizer coating on them.  
".... A-Ahh.."  
 _Sleep._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Since I know we're going to be asked: the tranquilizer darts came from special slots in trees. You know how the Capital likes to fuck with the tributes by throwing unexpected things at them? Well there you go. :)


	5. Poison.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The ultimate price it paid by one for the other's survival.

Tony catches the camera, ripping out the pieces he doesn't need. What he's about to do is painful, but it should keep him alive for a while. He puts the magnet and the power source together, before he takes the little thing - it's about an inch across, and about an inch and a half deep - and slams it into the largest of the wounds, biting the back of his hand so he doesn't scream. It hurts, oh, it hurts so badly. But the pain fades away, dulling to a heavy throb, and the metal no longer feels like it's tearing him apart.  
He gets up when he can, pulling the blades from Loki's muscles, treating the wounds with practiced ease, before he manages to drag him back into the cave to keep him safe until he wakes up. He wants to sleep, but he knows he shouldn't, especially with Loki injured. There's no safety. However, he can't hold onto consciousness, and he passes out, heart beating as normally as it can.

-

Loki awakens slowly, eyes remaining squinted as he blinks. It's daylight, there's no doubt about that as light seeps into the cave. His head is groggy and he can hardly move without something throbbing.  
The older teen groans. What happened last night..?  
And then it all hits him: the attack, the blood, the camera, the knives--  
He gasps and yelps and his eyes shoot wide open, heart racing; and then he realizes just how deep in shit he is with one look at his legs.  
".... No. No, no.. n-.."  
His only good feature, his /strongest/ feature, gone because the Capital is bitter and can't take an insult.  
He lets go of a sob, hands shaking as they carefully smooth over his bandages.

-

It's only Loki's movements that wake Tony, and he stirs with a groan but he's awake as soon as the first spike of pain hits him. There's a magnet in his chest, he remembers, but much of everything else is a blur.  
"It's alright, gorgeous, calm down... I treated the wounds as well as I could, they'll heal. Don't touch the bandages," he murmurs softly. His own wounds are still mostly open - he'd slammed the magnet home and moved Loki without taking proper care of his own wounds.

-

Loki looks over at Tony, having forgotten that the other was even there. He wipes his tears and shudders. "Tony, you're.." He shakes his head and grabs the rest of the medical supplies, setting to work on properly taking care of his wounds whether he likes it or not.  
"We need to move," he murmurs softly as he works. "I'm surprised none of the other tributes are here yet. The noise last night was definitely enough to draw attention from any part of the forest."  
Focusing on Tony, Loki is able to move swiftly, ignoring his own pains. "Try not to take any more hits here," he smiles a little, attempting to make light of the situation. "I'm going to go find the things I dropped in the woods, alright? Stay here and eat. I'll join you shortly." He presses a can of food into Tony's hand, standing with a bit of hesitation and making his way into the woods.  
As soon as he's far enough, Loki retches into the grass. It's clear from the number of canons that have sounded thus far and the fact that they haven't been ambushed yet: he and Tony are the only ones left. The only tributes that have survived, and it's only been a day. He isn't surprised, though: there have been quicker games than this.  
Making a quick decision, he looks around and scrambles for the famed poison berries he's heard so much about and stuffs enough to kill a man into one of his pockets before making his way back to Tony.  
"I.. believe we are the only ones left, Tony."

-

Tony can barely move, let alone eat. He needs medication, and in large doses, both to keep infection away and reduce the agonizing pain he's in. There's such a weariness to his eyes when he looks up at Loki once he comes back.  
"I don't doubt it... bloodthirsty group this year, just what they wanted..." he murmurs, barely able to work up the strength to get the words out. "I'll be lucky if I live to see a crown at this rate. You can still move, still walk... just gonna have a limp for the rest of your life..." With quite a bit of effort, he pulls a hand up, resting it over the magnet, wincing as he touches swollen, inflamed wounds. He has his fingers on it, the hold just strong enough to yank it out. He knows that'll be the end of him, and in this kind of pain, he prefers it. "You should go home, gorgeous. You'd actually be able to enjoy the win. I'll be dead in a matter of days."

-

Loki rushes over before Tony can take the magnet out, carefully slapping his hand away without ripping out the metal and straddling him so that he can't move. Taking a handful of berries, he holds them up for Tony to see.  
"Poisonous," he mutters, pressing his body close and laying his bony knees on Tony's hands to keep them away from the magnet. "Though I'd be able to enjoy the win, Tony, I don't have anyone to go home to. And even if you might not either, you can still make a difference. You can still _do_ something about these games and the Capital-- and that's all I want. You'll live because they'll do anything to save you. So please," he clenches his jaw, downing the berries in one swoop, chewing them and swallowing.  
"Please.. win. Go out there and make them change."  
Cautiously, he presses a sweet kiss to the man's lips.  
" _Do it for me._ "  
That's when the nightlock's poison hits him, turning him pale and making him too weak to even remain upright. He falls from Tony's lap and to the side, eyelids fluttering and his lungs pushing out their last breaths.


	6. Epilogue.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the Games.  
> Written by bitterstolenrelic.

The Games ended, Tony was treated by the absolute finest medicine the Capitol could use, but they still needed to use what he'd rigged up for himself in the arena. They modified it, to make the device sleeker, and less likely to to cause pain, but he didn't care. He played along as well as he could through the tour after the Games, but everything went by in a blur.  
He finally returns to District 3, and those who know him don't bother asking how he is. They can see the look on his face, see the devastation in his eyes as plain as day. There was one person who understood, and it was with that person that Tony managed to find solace.  
His friend's name was Clint. Clint was 19, his birthday just before the Reaping making him inelligible for the past year, but a few years back, Clint's name had been pulled, and his brother volunteered for him. That act surprised everyone at the time, but Clint had told Tony later, his brother wanted to do at least one decent thing for Clint in his life. so he saved him from the Games that year.  
Clint knows Tony, very well, and he brings morphling and alcohol, knowing how much and why the Victor needs them.  
Tony's just been completely in a daze since returning home. He shunned tradition and the regular rules, refusing to allow his father to move into the Capitol-furnished home in the Victor's Village, inviting Clint in instead. It's one of those times where Clint's coming back home for the night, and he can see the look on Tony's face. He knows this isn't going to be good, but he can't let his friend suffer, so he sits down next to Tony, pours them both a drink and stares until the engineer speaks. If it was anywhere else, any other district, perhaps the Capitol would try to spy on their victor, but Tony would've found any cameras in a heartbeat.  
"Alright, Stark, come on. Talk. It's just us here, and if you don't, it's gonna bother you for days." Clint hands Tony his glass, and almost immediately, the Victor has emptied it and refilled it.  
"What am I supposed to say, Clint?" he murmurs, tracing the circle of light in his chest. "He was completely gorgeous, beautiful eyes, amazing voice, good heart, strong... He killed for me. He protected me. He wouldn't let me kill myself, but now... fuck, I want to every day. This damn thing hurts," he grumbles, barely flinching when Clint sticks him with a needle full of morphling. "In the end... he overestimated me. I mean, fuck, look at me, I'm an addict who can't get more than an hour of sleep because if I don't wake up screaming, just about what I've seen, I wake up in tears because I remember the light going out in his eyes. I remember watching his chest until it stopped moving... Then again, I am what I've always been, I guess. Just a fucking idiot... shouldn't have let him stop me," he murmured, raising his hand to the circle of light in his chest.  
Clint sighs, sliding an arm around Tony's shoulders to pull him close. They've been friends for years. Clint's really the only person allowed to even put his hands on Tony anymore. "I know, man. But, hey, rumors are flying. They're saying that there's talk in the Capitol to have you moved up. You're a genius, and they think they could use you for parts of the games. He wanted you to find a way to get back at them? This is about as good as you're gonna get."  
He thinks about it, mind racing and eyes flicking around the room as he thinks and plots and plans.  
"...Well. That could definitely work."


	7. Question from the author(s)

So, we'd like to thank everyone that read this. It was a bit of a short and sweet AU thing that we did to take up some time, and we're glad that other people enjoyed it as well. 

Now, out of curiosity. We did sort of continue it past the end that was here, but it takes quite a turn away from things that are canon in the Hunger Games universe, getting a little more science-fiction-y because of a couple of things. Would you guys like it if we keep going with that, or if we were to maybe put that up as something like a part two in a series, or just leave this where it is and do more on that other collaborative thing we have? (Which we're going to do that last one anyway, but just curious.)

Feel free to leave us a comment on here or message either of us. We're also on tumblr - I'm verticalfrontalsomething and Gray is agent-odd - but yeah. Let us know, please?

Again, thanks for reading!

-Tony (bitterstolenrelic) and Loki (graysonatural)


End file.
